Automatic grain-meter



(No Model.)

L. A. GILLETT.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN METER. No. 424,972. Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER A. GILLETT, OF LEONARDVILLE, KANSAS.

AUTOMATIC G RAIN-M ETER.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,972, dated April 8,1890.

Application filed May 18, 1889. Serial No. 311,257. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, LESTER A. GILLET-T, a citizen of the United States,residing at Leonardville, in the county of Riley and State of Kansas,have invented a new and useful Automatic Grain-Veigher, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of automatic grain-meters which areprovided with an oscillating door-plate and with an oscillat* ing bottomat its lower or discharge end, and with a weighted lever forming anextension of the pivoted rod, to which the oscillating bottom isattached; and the invention consists in certain improvements in theconstruction of the device, which will be hereinafter fully described,and particularly pointed out in t-he claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of my improved grain-meter.Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is aperspective View, on a larger scale, of the registering apparatus. Fie.4 is a sectional View of the latter.

The same letters and numerals referto the same parts in all the figures.

A designates the casing of my improved grain-meter, which is contractedat its upper end, so as to form the neck B, having the mouth or openingC. Journaled in 'the sides D D of the casing, just below the neck B, isa shaft E, which carries the oscillating doorplate F, and below the saidshaft is arranged a Vertical partition Gr, extending to a point not farfrom the bottom. The oscillating door F may be thrown to either side, soas to rest upon either of the inclined sides lll H of the neck, and thuscut off communication with one of the sides of the casing, whileconnection is established between the mouth or opening C and the otherside of said casing. In the sides of the casing, below the partition G,is journaled another transverse shaft I, carrying two wings J J whichare placed at an angle to each other, and which together constitute thebottom of the meter. The lower end of the casing is curvedconcentrically with the shaft I, and. it has the dischargeopening K,which is of a width equal to the distance between the lower edges of theplates constituting the bottoma The shafts E and l are extended slightlyon one side of the casing, and are provided with pulleys L M, connectedby a belt or band N, by means of which motion is communicated from oneof said pulleys to the other. The other end of the lower shaft l islikewise extended on the opposite side of the casing, and has an arm orlever O at right angles thereto and carries at its free end anadjustable weight I). Stops Q Q, extend from one of the sides D of thecasing on opposite sides of the bearing of the shaft l, and serve tosupport the weighted arm or lever O when the latter is thrown to eitherside.

R designates the registering apparatus, which comprises three wheels l,2, and 3, mounted upon an axle 4r, and each provided along its peripherywith a series of ten teeth or ratchets, numbered from O to 9. The frontwheel l is the smallest, the teeth or ratchets of the second wheel 1 2projecting beyond its periphery, and the teeth or ratchets of the thirdwheel 3 project beyond the periphery of the second. The rst wheel 1 isprovided on its inner side with a rim or flange 12, which extends to theperiphery of the wheel 2, and the latter is provided on its inner sidewith a flange 13, extending to the periphery of the wheel The flanges 12and 13 are provided with notches 14, corresponding in position with thezeroniotches of the said wheels, of which 1 is the units, 2 the tens,and 3 the hundreds, wheel. Pivoted to an arm or extension of the shaftI, opposite to the arm or lever O, are three pawls G, 7 and S, whichengage the ratchets of the registeringwheels, the pawl 6 beingconstantly in engagement with the teeth or ratchets of the wheel l,while the pawls 7 and S ride upon the iianges 12 and 13, respectively,and only come in contact with the ratchets of the wheels 2 and 3 onceduring each revolution of the wheels 1 and 2, respectively, when thenotches 11 of the flanges 12 and 13 of the said wheels come injuxtaposition with the levers or pawls 7 and S, respectively. One ormore of the registering-wheels will thus, as will be hereinafterdescribed, be operated for the space of one notch for each oscillationof the shaft l.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Before starting, the wheelsof the register are adjusted. with. their zero-notches registering witheach other and with the pawl G adj usted in the first notch of theunits-wheel. The weighted arm or lever O rests upon one of the studs orprojections Q, and when it is in this position both of the wings orplates constituting' the bottom of the grain-meter are swung to one sideof the discharge-opening, while the oscillating door or cut-off F coversthe upper end of the compartment on the opposite side of the easing.Suitable spouts are to be arranged to feed the grain into and to carryit away from the meter. It will be seen that when the cut-off plate F isso arranged as to cover the compartment C2 the bottom is swung under thecompartment C3, into which latter the grain will thus be fed until theweight of the grain in the compartment @Soverbalanees the weight P atthe outer end of lever O. The latter will not be swung' or tilted, thusoscillating the shaft I and reversing the position of the bottom J J',which now swings under the compartment C2, while at the same time thecut-off plate F is reversed and caused to cover the compartment C3. Thecontents of the compartment H now escape at the bottom, while grainenters the compartment C2 at the top until the weight of grain in saidcompartment overbalances the weight D, when the operation is repeated.At each operation of the lever O the pawl 6, pivoted to the extension 5of said lever, engages the teeth of the units-wheel of the register andserves to rotate the said wheel for the space of one notch, thusindicating` upon the register the number of times the operation has beenrepeated. lVhen the units-wheel has made one complete revolution, thenotch 14 of its flange l2 will come in juxtaposition with the pawl 7,which has meanwhile been riding' upon the said flange, and thetens-wheel will thus, by the action of said pawl, be turned forward thespace of one notch. This will be repeated at each complete revolution ofthe units-wheel until the tenswheel has made one complete revolution,when the pawl 8, which has meanwhile been riding upon the flange i3 ofthe tens-wheel, will engage the ratchets of the hundreds-wheel and turnthe latter forward the space of one notch, which operation is repeatedonly at each complete revolution of the tens-wheel. It will thus be seenthat the register will at any time indicate the exact number of ti mesthat the meter has been .operated The weight of grain required tovoverbaiance the weight T being known, the quantity of grain passingthrough the meter may be easily computed.

This registering device, it will be seen, is exceedingly simple inconstruction, being' entirely free from complicated mechanism, which isalways more or less liable to get out of order and to interfere with thesuccessful operation, and it cannot fail to operate with certainty andaccuracy. The meter itself is likewise exceedingly simple, and thecut-off plate at the top and the bottom valve will be operatedinstantaneously and at the same time.

Having 'thus described my invention, I claim ln a grain-meter, thecombination of the casing having' the contracted neck or upper portionand segmental lower end provided with a discharge opening, thetransverse shafts, the vertical partition extending' between saidshafts, the cut-off plate upon the upper shaft, thebottom valve upon thelower shaft, comprising two wings or plates, the lower edges of whichare a distance apart equal to the width of the discharge opening, aweighted arm or lever extending :from the lower shaft, studs orprojections to support said weighted lever, and a belt or bandconneeting pulleys upon the two shafts, all ar ranged and operating'substantially as set forth.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing' as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

LESTER A. GTLLET'I.

Vitnesses:

O. L. Pnrnnson, Was. M. 'F.nnow.

